Carl a



(No Model.)

'G. A. .ROHDER 81; P. J. BLOOM.

LIFTING DEVICE.

Patented July 30, 1895.

INVENTORS. C". J7A7'70/7derr ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OAEL A. ROHDER AND PETER J. BLOOM, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS OFONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES J. DEWEY, OF SAME PLACE.

LIFTING DEVICE;

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 543,814, dated July 30,1895. Application filed November 16, 1894- Serial No. (N0 model-l To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CARL A. ROHDER and PETER J. BLOOM, citizens of theUnited States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoeand State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Lifting Devices; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification,

Our invention relates to improvements in devices for lifting articlesfrom or placing them upon shelves or supports too high to be reached bythe arm without assistance. The device is for use instores, warehouses,and

establishments of every description where articles of merchandise arelocated too high to be reached by the arm.

The device is composed of a rod (preferably made of wood) to oneextremity of which is attached a pair of jaws, one of which is movable,together with special mechanism for operating the movable jaw, wherebyit may be opened and closed at will.

Our object is to provide an article of this 0 class which shall be ofsimple and economical construction, easily operated, reliable, durable,and efficient in use; and to these ends the device consists of thefeatures hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will .be

5 fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichis illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section taken on the line as m, Fig. 1, the parts beingshown on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating thelower portion of the device. Fig. 4 is an end view of the upperextremity of the device. Fig. 5 is an 4 5 elevation of the upper part ofthe device, showing a modified form of construction. Fig. 6 is across-section taken on the line y 3 Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 5o sponding parts orelements inall the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a rod, preferably made of such a size thatit can be conveniently used in one hand. It is preferred to constructthe rod of wood for reasons of economy in construction and conveniencein use. It may, however, be constructed of any suitable or desirablematerial. It is provided with a longitudinal recess 6 formed in thecenter thereof and extending the greater portion of itslength. To theoutersurface of the rod, and located near its lower extremity, issecured a plate 7, which projectsoutward from the rod and has a toothedor ratchet edge. The part of the plate 7 engaging the rod is made toconform in shape to the surface of the rod, and has suflieient area orbearing-surface to permit of its being securely fastened to the rod. Theprojecting toothed part 7 of this plate is segmental in shape. Itstoothed or ratchet edge is engaged by a spring-actuated dog or detent 8,carried by a lever 9, and forked to straddle the ratchet-segment uponwhich it is pivoted.

To the lever 9 and at a suitable point intermediate its extremities is alink 10, which also 7 5 straddles the segmental plate 7. The upperextremity of this link is apertu'red to receive the hooked extremity ofa wire 12, which passes through an aperture in the casing of the rod,and thence through the longitudinal recess 6 to a triangular device 13,preferably formed of wire sufficiently rigid for the purpose. Thisdevice 13, as shown in the drawings, has the shape of an isoscelestriangle, having the angle formed by its two equal sides or legs pointedoutward. To the side opposite this angle, which side we willterm thebase, is attached the wire 12. The pointed extremity opposite the baseof this triangular device projects out of the upper extremity of thehollow rod 5 and is located intermediate the jaws 14 and 15. The jaw 14is stationary and attached to the upper extremity of the rod. The otherjaw is movable, its inner extremity being pivoted on the rod. Thismovable jaw 5 is normally held in the open position by a suitable spring16. These jaws'14 and 15 are apertured to receive the equaloutwardly-projecting legs of the triangle. When the movable jaw is openthe apex of the triangle is located at a suitable distance from thejaws. Now it is evident that if the lever 9 be pressed or actuated insuch a manner as to draw the wire 12 downward toward the lower extremityof the red the triangle will be moved in a corresponding direction,whereby its apex is made to approach the jaws. As the distance betweenits equal legs gradually diminishes toward the apex as the latter pointapproaches the jaws, the movable jaw must be drawn toward the stationaryjaw and made to clasp the neck of a bottle, or the bail of a bucket, orany other article which it may be necessary to lift, remove from, orreplace upon an elevated shelf. As the lever 9 is actuated for thepurpose just explained, the dog 8 engages the toothed edge of thesegmental plate 7 and locks the movable jaw in the closed position.Engaging the plate 7 and eccentrically pivoted thereon at a suit ablepoint 17 is a movable segmental plate 18, having a smooth edge. Thislast-named plate is so located normally that the toothed edge of theplate 7 is exposed to engagement with the locking-dog 8. The plate 18 isnormally held in place by a spring 19, connected with a lug 18 formed onthe plate 18 and projecting into the recess 6 of the hollow rod. The

plate 18 is provided with a slot.- 18, throughwhich passes the pin onwhich the lever 9 is f ulcrumed. Suitably connected with the plate 18 isa lever 20 fulcrumed on the rod at 21. By pressing the outer extremityof this lever 20 the plate 18 is so shifted or actuated as to moveoutward and disengage the locking-dog 8 from the toothed edge of theseg-' mental plate 7, thus releasing the lever 9, when thespring-actuated jaw 13 will open and force the apex of the triangleoutward to its normal position, when it is again ready for use. Thelever 9 may be actuated to close the movable jaw through theinstrumentality of a small lever 22, fulcrumed on the rod 5 near itsupper extremity and projecting into the recess 6. The inner extremity ofthis 1ever is attached to a wire 23, which leads to a cord or shortchain 24, passing around a pulley 25, and having its opposite extremityconnected with the lever 9. The releasing-plate 18 also may be actuatedby a lever 26, fulcrumed near the upper extremity of the rod andconnected with a wire 27 leading to the lug 18 on the plate 18.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 5 the jaws occupy avertical position, or the movable jaw 15 is adapted to move in avertical plane, while the stationary jaw 14 occupies a correspondingposition. In this case the upper extremity of the wire 12 is attacheddirectly to the movable jaw, which is therefore actuated without theinterposition of the triangular device 13 employed when the jaw 15 movesin a horizontal plane.

The terms vertical and horizontal plane, employed in this specificationto denote the positions of the jaws 14 and 15, are used on theassumption that the rod 5 of the device, when in use, occupies avertical position, and are believed sufliciently accurate, since thethedevice must be projected upward to lift articles from or replace themupon elevated positions.

In order to prevent the jaws 1i and 15 of the device from marring orscratching polished articles of merchandise, and also to cause them tohold articles more securely and obviate any tendency on the part of saidarticles to slip out of the grasp of the jaws, the latter are lined withsome suitable material, preferably india rubber, which overcomes alldifficulty of the nature suggested, andis designated by thereference-character A in the drawing.

Having thus we claim is- 1. In a lifting device of the characterdescribed, the combination, with the rod having the segmental ratchetplate, of the lever f ulcrumed on said plate and carryingaspringactuated dog adapted to engage the toothed edge of the plate, aspring-held releasing plate eccentrically pivoted on the toothed plate,means for actuating 'said releasing plate whereby the looking dog maybedisengaged from the ratchet plate, a pair of jaws attached to the end ofthe rod more remote from the lever, one of said jaws being n1ovable, anda suitable connection between the lever and the movable jaw whereby themovement of the former actuates the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a lifting device of the character de scribed, the combination,with the rod having the segmental ratchet plate, of the lever pivoted onsaid rod and carrying a springheld dog, jawsattached to the end of therod more remote from the lever, one of them being movable andspring-actuated, a triangular device having its apex pointing outwardand two of its legs engaging apertures formed in the jaws, and asuitable connection between the lever and said triangular device,substantially as described.

3. In alifting device of the character described, the combination, withthe rod having the segmental ratchet plate attached thereto, of thelever fulcrumed on said plate and carrying the spring-held dog, thespring held releasing plate eccentrically pivoted on the ratchet plateand adapted to disengage the lockin g dog, the jaws attached to the endof the rod more remote from the lever, the" triangular device engagingthe jaws, and a suitable connection between the lever and saidtriangular device, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination, of thehollow rod having the segmental ratchet plate, the lever carrying thespring-held detent, jaws attached to the end of the rod more remote fromthe lever, one of said jaws being movable, a suitable connection betweenthe movable jaw and the lever, another lever fulcrumed on the roddescribed our invention, what near the jaw end thereof and projectinginto the opening therein, another connection between said last namedlever and the first lever whereby the movable lever may be actuated byeither lever, substantially as described.

5. In'a lifting device of the character described, the combination, ofthe hollow rod provided with the segmental ratchet plate, a lockingdevice pivoted on the segmental plate and carrying a spring-held dog,jaws attached to the extremity of the rod more remote from the lockingdevice, one of said jaws being movable, a suitable connection betweenthe movable jaw and the locking device, the spring-held releasingplateeccentrically pivoted on the ratchet plate, a lever located nearthe extremity of the rod remote from the lockin g device, and a suitableconnection between said lever and the releasing plate, substan- 2o CARLA. ROHDER. PETER J. BLOOM. Witnesses:

G. J. ROLLANDET, CHAS. E. DAWSON.

